Wrench



D 9, 1941. J. H. RILEY vEm 2,265,860 v WRENCH Filed Jan. 10, 1940 Patented Dec. 9, 1941 WRENCH Joseph H. Riley and Clifford Bridge, Willsboro, N. Y.

Application January 10, 1940, Serial No. 313,290

2 Claims.

Our invention relates to wrenches, and more particularly to hand wrenches comprising relatively movable jaws.

In a particular embodiment illustrated in the accompanying drawing which forms part of this application for Letters Patent, the novel features of the invention are incorporated in a wrench of the pipe or Stillson type, but it will be understood that this embodiment is chosen for illustrative purposes only and that the novel features of the invention are capable of being incorporated in other types of wrench.

Our invention comprises a wrench having a pair of relatively adjustable jaws. One jaw, which maybe regarded as the inner jaw, is fixed to a'handle member or is integral therewith, and the other jaw, referred to hereinafter as the outer jaw, is mounted on a slide which is adjustable longitudinally of the inner jaw, so that the two jaws are relatively movable to accommodate pipes, nuts and the like of different diameters. We prefer to employ pawl and ratchet means for fixing the adjustment of the slide with relation to the inner jaw. 'Pawl and ratchet means have been heretofore used for this purpose, so that we claim no patentable novelty in this feature per se, but our invention resides more particularly in providing a combination of parts which materially strengthen the wrench against twisting during certain kinds of use and which permit the several parts of the wrench readily to be assembled and disconnected. More particularly, the parts are held in operative relation by fastening means which may take the form of a single element, such as a nut which cooperates With the remainder of the wrench parts and structure to permit these parts to be made in simple and inexpensive shapes.

In the accompanying drawing, wherein the same reference character designates the same part in the several views,

Figure 1 is a side elevational view of a pipe wrench embodying our invention; Fig. 2 is a similar view partly in longitudinal section; and r Fig. 3 is a cross sectional view taken on the line 3-3,of Fig. 1.

Referring now tothe drawing, the reference numeral I designatesgenerally a handle member .7 having a shank 2 at one endportion terminating I in an inner jaw 3. This inner jaw is preferably provided with a comparatively deep slot 4 at its rear end. The shank 2 of the handle member is of polygonal cross section, preferably rectangular, and beyond the end of this shank portion the handle member continues, with reduced cross section, in the form of a grip-receiving stem 5, the extreme end 6 of which is threaded.

Along the front face of the shank portion 2 we provide a series of ratchet teeth I which are formed with abrupt shoulders facing the end 6 of the handle portion.

A slide member of special shape, designated 8, has an opening or bore which just passes the shank 2 of the handle member, and thisslide member contains a pawl 8 which engages the ratchet teeth 1. As will be apparent from Fig. 2, the pawl is pivoted in or on the slide member 8 and its nose is spring-pressed into engagement with the ratchet teeth so that while'the nose and teeth are engaged the slide 8 may move on the shank 2 away from the jaw 3 but cannot move toward this jaw. Movement toward the jaw is possible only when the pawl'9 is disengaged from the ratchet teeth I.

The slide 8 is best made with an opening in its front face, which is covered by a cap piece H) which may be held in place on the slide by a pair of small machine screws H. The pawl may be pivoted in the cap piece and urged into position to dog the ratchet teeth by a spring 9 which reacts between sockets in the pawl and in the body of the slide member 8. A small opening in the front face of the cap piece passes the rear end of the pawl 9, which projects as a sort of button [2. Manual pressure on this button disengages the pawl from the ratchet teeth and permits movement of the slide toward the inner jaw 3.

Obviously the pawl may be otherwise mounted and the spring 9 or some equivalent therefor maybe otherwise disposed with relation to the pawl and the slide member 8 or the cap piece It].

The rear portion of the slide member 8 is projeoted in a direction away from the stem 5 of the handle member I to provide a stout support for the outer jaw, as will now be explained.

The outer jaw support, designated I3, extends an appreciable distance from the slide 8 and contains a bore [4 generally paralleling the bore of the slide member which receives the shank portion 2 of the handle member. In the bore Hi we positionthe shank J5 of an outer jaw Hi. This shank I5 is pivoted in the bore M by apost H, which may be the shank ofa bolt, held in place by a nut l8 turned up tight against a side face of the slide member 8. The outer jaw shank I5 is freely rockable about the pivot I! in the bore l4,

so that the outer jaw I6 is movable in a direction generally across and parallel to the cooperating face of the inner jaw 3, in the manner common to pipe wrenches.

The bore I 4 continues along the support I3 as a slot, designated I9. This slot I9 faces the slot 4, and the depths of the two are so proportioned with respect to the width of outer jaw shank I5 that this shank remains constantly in both slots throughout the entire range of its rocking movement in the bore 14. In this way, shank I5 is stifliy supported by jaw 3 and the part I3 of the when the handle member I of the wrench is pulled in a direction approximately parallel to the axis of a pipe which maybe engaged by the jaws of the wrench.

We regard this feature of our inventionas an important advance in wrenches of this type. The best prior art wrenches of which we are aware have been seriously deficient in ability to withstand twisting stresses. We have found that the support afforded the outer jaw of our wrench by the parts 3 and I3 makes the whole wrench exceedingly rugged and durable and proof against twisting. At the same time, this construction enables us to provide adequate strength in the shank I5 and outer jaw I6 by using less metal than was formerly necessary.

We prefer to provide both of the parts 3 and I3 with slots as shown, and so to proportion the shank I5 with relation to these slots that the shank is constantly maintained in both slots throughout the whole range of its pivotal movement about the post I'I. However, it will be recognized that as long as the shank I5 remains in either of these slots, some of the stiffening advantage of the preferred, two-slot construction, will be attained.

A grip 20, which may be of Wood or the like, isslipped over the stem 5 after the slide 8 has been mounted on the shank portion 2, and a cap nut 2| is engaged with the threaded end 6 of the stem 5. The end of the grip which faces the slide 8 is provided with a shoulder 22, preferably formed by a metal ferrule 23. This shoulder is of greater diameter than the bore or opening in the slide which passes the shank portion 2, so that the shoulder limitsmovement of the slide on the shank and prevents the slide from being removed from the handle member I, even if the jaw l6 be separated from the slide member, and even though the parts be so proportioned that the jaw I 6 would not be obstructed by the jaw 3.

The parts are readily assembled by slipping the slide 8 over the stem 5 of the handle member and onto the shank 2 thereof before the grip 20 and nut 2| are installed. After the nut 2| is turned up ti ht on the threaded end 6 of the handle member, the shank I5 of the outer jaw is inserted throu h the slots 4 and I9 and the post I! is passed through its opening in the slide and is held in place by the nut I8. 7

To separate the parts for replacement or the like, nut I8 is unscrewed, post I! and shank I5 removed,'nut 2! and grip 2B are withdrawn from the handle member, and slide 8 is then slipped offthe handle member. Withdrawal of screws I I disconnects the cap piece H] from the slide member.

It'will be observed that the shape of the slide 8 is such that the front portion of its outer end terminates in a sort of step, inwardly of the outer end of the support I3. This step cooperates with the inner jaw 3 to serve as a stop which limits movement of the slide on the shank 2 of the inner jaw. When the stop is engaged with the inner jaw, in the position of maximum separation of the two jaws of the wrench, the shank I5 of the outer jaw member is well stiffened by the support I3 which extends well beyond the stop portion of the slide member. By this construction good support is provided for the outer jaw shank when the jaws are in the position of maximum separation, and the range of opening is not limited by the presence of the support.

The metal parts of the wrench may be made of any material suitable for the purpose. We

prefer to employ forged steel. The slide member 8 is easily made by forging two halves, each of which is like the half of the whole slide 8 shown in Fig. 2. That is to say, the section plane through the slide 8 in Fig. 2 may be regarded as constituting one surface of one of two identical slide halves. These halves may be connected by welding, riveting or in any other customary way. As an alternative, the slide member may be made as an integral whole by a casting operation.

A pair of windows 24 may be provided in the sides of the slide member to eliminate some metal and weight.

It will be recognized that the novel features of the invention are applicable to tools of different construction from that shown in the drawing and herein described. All modifications of the exemplified embodiment are to be deemed within the scope and purview of the appended claims as long as such modifications embody the principles of the invention as pointed out by the claims.

We claim:

1. A wrench comprising a handle member having a shank provided with a series of ratchet teeth and terminating in an inner jaw having a slot in its rear face,'a slide member movable on said shank having a pawl engageable with said teeth, an outer jaw support integral with the slide member, projecting upwardly a substantial distance therefrom, and having a slot facing the slot of the inner jaw, and an outer jaw member having a shank pivoted on the slide member and received in said slots so as to be movable about its pivot within the limits afforded by the depths of said slots to cooperate with the inner jaw to grip a workpiece and be stiffened against twisting with relation to the slide member and inner jaw, the inner jaw, the support and the slots therein being so proportioned as to maintain the shank of the outer jaw member in both of said slots throughout the entire range of the pivotal movement of said shank and of sliding movement of the slide member on' the inner jaw shank. I

2. A wrench comprising a handle member having a shank provided with a series of ratchet teeth at one end portion and terminating at said end in an inner jaw having a slot in its rear face, a slide member having an opening receiving said shank so as to be movable on said shank, a pawlcarried by the front side oftheslide member and engageable with said teeth, an outer jaw support integral with the slide member, projecting a substantial. distance upwardly from the rear of the slide member, and having a slot facing the slot of theinner jaw, an outer jaw member having a shank pivoted in the slide member and permanently maintained in said slots so as to be movable about its pivot within the limits afiorded by the depths of said slots to cooperate with the inner jaw and be stifiened against twisting with relation to the slide member and inner 5 jaw, whereby in all adjusted positions of the slide member on the inner jaw shank and of the outer jaw member about its pivot the wrench is stiffened against lateral or twisting stresses by restraint of the outer jaw shank in both of said slots.

JOSEPH H. RILEY. CLIFFORD BRIDGE. 

